Loving the Adventure
by sillygyrl8
Summary: What do Sam and Andy do with their time & space away from each other during their suspensions? My Rookie Blue suspension story with a twist. Story starts during the last couple of minutes of S2E13. Rating may go to M in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1  Long Way Round

_AN1- I've rotated 15 Division to be facing Eastern Ave & not on Parliament St - just so that Sam can see the city in front of him. _  
><em>AN2- This idea has been swimming in my head since September, but surprised no one else has thought of this. <em>  
><em>I have the other chapters outlined but not written, so depending on my schedule, I'll get them eventually written. <em>  
><em>AN3- I thank Nathy3 and Kitkat201083 for pushing me along. (XOXO to my RBteers!)<em>  
><em>AN4- The places mentioned are actually in Toronto.<em>

_**Disclaimers: I wish I did own RB and its characters but Global/ABC/Thump do but hey I can always dream!**_

_  
><strong><br>**Loving the Adventure

Chapter 1 – Long Way Round

Sam exits 15 Division with a heavy sigh. After his brief visit to the hospital to get checked out, his debriefing with Frank and grabbing a couple of items from his locker, Sam slowly walks to his truck parked in the division's lot. While walking, Sam thinks about what he has experienced in the past 36 hours. From the intense highs of having Andy coming over to JD's apartment and waking up with her in his arms, to the unexpected visit from Jamie in the morning (_he was definitely grateful that Andy thought quickly on her feet and 'transformed' into her Candace personality from the UC scavenger hunt the week before_), and to intense lows of being made and tortured by Jamie, due to the incomplete cover story given to him by one Donovan Boyd and his cover up of the murder of Brennan's family.

Once Oliver and he exited the farmhouse, Sam looked over at Andy standing by the cruiser and breathed a sigh of relief that Andy wasn't made and grateful that they had found him, while he headed to Shaw's cruiser. Oliver called Zoe, while they were heading back to 15 and had asked her to head over to Sam's house and drive his truck down to the station, so he can head home. Sam wanted nothing more than to head home, shower and sleep for a better part of the three weeks of his suspension to let his body heal, but he also wanted to see if Andy was alright. While their unspoken conversation when he was brought out of the house _(the one with their eyes)_ seemed to be enough, he really wanted to actually talk to Andy about what will happen in the upcoming three weeks and to 'them' after their suspensions. Sam, being curious, just wanted to know if she'll give him any tidbits of her plans during her three weeks off and away from the division.

Pausing to say goodbye to his friends and to thank them for rescuing him, he got into his truck and started it. Glad to be not driving his undercover vehicle anymore, he drove around to the front of the division and saw Andy walking out. He pulls up alongside her and asks "So do you want to be normal together?" Andy looks up and says "How are we going to do that?" Sam, since he isn't much of a planner, goes "I dunno, I have no idea". Andy smiles at Sam.

Sam glances at the city lit up in front of him and then back at Andy "I think we can start by having me drive you home. To Traci's place?" Sam asks and then pauses. "I'm guessing you haven't gone to finalize your mortgage yet... with... ummm" Sam trails off unsure what to say next, thinks for a moment and then restarts "uhm... everything that has gone on since Brennan knocked on my door yesterday morning." Andy, looking reluctant, asks "What about our suspensions?" Sam grins and orders Andy to "Just get into the truck. I'm pretty sure Frank will be okay with me just giving you a ride home, since it will practically be inhuman for me to let you walk home in this freezing cold weather." Andy thinks back to their conversation from two nights ago, obviously relieved that Sam isn`t mad at her for screwing up another UC operation and gets into the truck.

Sam has decided that he will drop Andy off at Traci's but doesn't tell her that he is going to take the scenic route there. He is definitely not in a rush to drop her off, since they have nowhere to be in the morning. He drives off, leaving 15 Division behind them, heading westbound on Front St. East. Andy glances around, knowing that Traci's house is in the opposite direction but doesn't say anything, since Sam seemed like he had a plan in his mind. Sam takes her silence as acceptance that she gets what he is trying to do – extend their time together before they are separated again. Sam turns the truck onto Lower Sherbourne St. and heads south towards the lake and Lakeshore Boulevard, being very mindful of avoiding places with bad memories for them _(Supernova, where Andy and Kate got shot; Cherry Beach, where they found Leslie, the little boy, the non-kiss between them and where Brennan took Andy to see God's Good Grace; and the West Beach where they went to look for her dad)_. Sam, content enough with just having her in his truck, Sam stays silent, occasionally glancing over at Andy. Feeling the same way, Andy mirrors his actions. Sam is curious as to what Andy will be up to in the upcoming three weeks, so he looks at Andy in search of any clues she`ll give him in her expressive face, unsure how to start the conversation. Since she was the planning one, he desperately wanted to see what she was going to do in the upcoming idle weeks. After 10 minutes of driving east along Lakeshore Blvd, he parks his truck at Ashbridges Bay Park and shuts off the vehicle.

He looks over at Andy, who seemed to be deep in thought and reaches over to grab her hand with his uninjured one, squeezes her hand and smiles at her, with as many dimples as his face would allow without shooting pain. Andy turns to look at Sam and finally gives him a big smile. Andy leans over and gives Sam a kiss on the lips, very relieved that they had found Sam in time and gives him a long hug. When they separate, Sam finally speaks up, trying to sound casual ``Andy, so what are your plans for the next three weeks?" Andy, nonchalantly, says "I'm going to go deal with my mortgage in two days, and then meeting some friends for drinks that night to celebrate." Sam nods and then asks "Traci and the other rookies?" Andy shakes her head, and then says "With Doreen and JD. We're going to meet at The Rhino at 8pm". Sam shocked speechless, wondering if she just really just said what he thought she said. It takes Sam several seconds to clue in that she is actually asking him to meet her for drinks in two nights' time. Sam, normally the rule-breaker, didn't think that she'll have it in her to do/plan something like this, since they aren't suppose to see nor contact each other during their suspensions. Sam wonders when did Andy start willing to colour outside the lines – Sam figures when she propositioned him at the Alpine Inn was the first time and then the second time was when she agreed to go to his UC apartment on karaoke night at the Penny. After a few silent minutes in the truck, Andy pokes Sam in the chest and says laughingly "Who is the one over-thinking now?" Sam bursts out laughing at Andy's comment and grabs Andy by her jacket drawing her closer to him. He skimmed his nose against hers and then kissed her deeply for a good five minutes before breaking apart for air. Sam smiling at Andy, thoroughly satisfied since he got a glimpse of her plans during their suspensions, turned back towards the steering wheel and started his truck.

Pulling out of the parking lot at Ashbridges Bay Park, he grabbed Andy's left hand with his uninjured right one and gave it a squeeze. The truck cabin was filled with silence, not an awkward silence by any means, but a giddy happy knowing silence. Sam drives them slowly back towards the divisional borders of 15 Division and to Traci's apartment in Cabbagetown. He arrives at Traci's apartment about 15 minutes later, reluctantly uncoupling his hand from Andy's for a second, so he can turn off his truck. He turns back towards Andy, cups her cheek with his right hand, rubbing it with his thumb, and kisses her. "Good Luck with your mortgage," Sam says when they break apart several minutes later. "And don't get into any trouble! Since I won't be there to save you," Sam chuckles. Andy smiles and says "I won't, I promise." Andy turns to open her passenger-side door and while she gets out of the truck, she reaches into the back seat to grab her duffel. Slinging the duffel onto her right shoulder, smiling mischievously and a wink she turns back towards Sam in the driver seat, and says "I guess I'll see you in three weeks." Sam says with a knowing chuckle, "I guess I'll see you around sometime, McNally." Andy closes the truck door, turns around and starts walking towards Nash's apartment, turning her head at the last moment to smile at Sam, before unlocking the main door and walking inside. Sam watches her walk away from him, mumbling "I'm going to miss you and your chatter" to himself and quietly wonders when the closing date of her condo will be, hoping that it will be after their suspensions so that he can help her move. Grinning, Sam looks towards the main door of the apartment once more (Andy long gone inside) and turning back towards the front; he starts his truck and drives home to shower, and to rest his tortured body... Two days will come soon enough, Sam thinks as he drifts off to sleep dreaming off Andy. Sam was very pleased with himself that he took the long way round (to Traci's).

_AN: Love it? Hate it? Feedback & reviews are definitely welcome. I promise I won't bite (well too hard...) :) Cheers SG8. _


	2. Chapter 2 The Perfect Gentleman

**Loving the Adventure  
>Chapter 2 – The Perfect Gentleman<strong>

AN – Some people have asked me on how Sam knew about Brennan taking Andy to Cherry Beach in Chapter 1. I have based my assumption on that either 1) Sam heard it during Jerry's interrogation of Brennan or 2) Jerry/Nash heard it from Andy's questioning with Boyd/Frank & have mentioned it in passing to Sam. I hope that answer satisfies you all.  
>AN2 – I have suffered through writers &amp; editor's block, life, procrastination &amp; etc. Sorry it has taken so long to post this chapter. Hopefully it's worth the wait. ;)<br>AN3- Background and thoughts are in italics.  
>AN4- The places are real in Toronto and I highly recommend them.<p>

**Dedicated to my RBteers (for laughs, support & editing), b0nes and Linnybins.  
>There are bits that only you ladies will get. <strong>

_Disclaimer: I wish I did own RB and its characters but Global/ABC/Thump do but hey I can always dream!  
><em>_

_When Andy had walked into Traci's apartment after leaving the Barn on Sunday night, Traci gave her a big hug, knowing that Andy and Sam can't see nor contact each other during their suspensions and knowing how hard that separation will be. Andy returned to Traci's with a huge smile on her face, even without asking Traci knew that Sam had dropped Andy off outside._

On Monday night, when Traci, Leo and Andy were watching the movie "Up" on the couch for the umpteenth time, Traci had asked what Andy was going to be up to the next day – Andy smiled and smoothly said "some errands, finalize mortgage and drinks with some old friends. I've finally got some time to catch up with them with the suspension and all. So don't expect me home early." Traci and Leo gave Andy a good night hug at the end of the movie and went to their individual bedrooms to sleep.

So when morning came, Andy was left alone in the apartment, Traci and Leo were already out, as Traci had to drop Leo off at school before her day shift. Andy woke up feeling giddy with excitement on late Tuesday morning, even though she had a kink in her back and neck from sleeping on Traci's couch. She happily thought that she'll only have to put up with Traci's couch for one more month, until she can sleep on a real bed, her own bed. She inched herself over to the edge of the sofa bed, got up to stretch and beamed. _Today was the day!_ She cheerfully thought about the start of her future, beginning with the purchase of her condo. Andy was sure that her mortgage broker was mad at her for re-scheduling several times due to the circumstances but Andy was grateful that she understood her current situation. Even before her suspension, she had signed off on 60 days for her closing date, making it January 9th. Ironically, it happens to be one week after her and Sam's return to work, and one 'work' week into the New Year. Andy thought blissfully, what better way than to start off a new year with a fresh start to her job, a new relationship (more than just as partners) and a new place smelling of fresh paint (_something her dad and Oliver mentioned to her on her first day as a cop_).

Andy is jolted out of her happy thoughts, when she catches a glimpse of the time on the microwave, quickly moves to change and starts heading out to the bank branch so that she wouldn't be late. Andy transits north to Broadview station, grabs a coffee and a quick bite to eat from Broadview Espresso before walking to her bank branch on the Danforth. Once she got to the branch, Andy was completely grateful that her mortgage broker understood her circumstances and was able to quickly sign off on her mortgage. After doing some quick window shopping for decorating ideas, Andy headed back to Traci's apartment to shower and change. Andy was truly grateful that she did not have to encounter Traci at home, since Traci had texted her in the afternoon to tell her that her and Leo were going to head directly to the mall to do some holiday shopping and grab some dinner. Traci will question her as to why she was so giddy to see 'old friends', and will easily see through her 'ruse' and definitely will give her the 'McNally, Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not linger, don't do anything stupid. J.D. off limits' talk again. Satisfied with her normal wardrobe choices and a touch of makeup, Andy grabbed her jacket and headed out, briskly walking the five minutes to Queen St. and jumping onto the westbound Queen Streetcar as it slowly heads towards The Rhino.

After dropping Andy off at Traci's Sunday night, Sam went to Metro to pick up some basic groceries like coffee, bread, veggies for salads, and milk before he headed home. There was nothing in his fridge since he cleared it out the night he left with Boyd for the undercover assignment. Sam got back to his place, parked his truck in the back, and turned the power back on for his lights and appliances. He padded around his living room, flipping through his unopened mail and his now dead cell phone on his coffee table and gingerly sat down on his couch. Although he got the prescription of his Tylenol 3s filled, he didn't want to take any as they make him groggy as hell and unable to drive. So with him being in great pain – with his arm in a cast and the stitches on his face, Sam turns slowly to his right side to plug his phone into the charger and patiently waits. When it finally has enough charge to come to life, Sam enters his password to check his voicemail – he smiles when he hears Andy's voicemail about "_screwing the plan and not saving the good candy for later anymore,"_ saves her voicemail, and skips through the ones left by Sarah and ends the call_. _Satisfied with hearing Andy's voice, he got up from the couch and slowly headed to his bedroom, changed into his pajamas and crawled under the covers, falling asleep right away.

Sam awoke from his deep slumber sometime Monday late afternoon, with his stomach growling from hunger. Waking up groggy and confused as to where he was, he slowly opened his right eye and then his left, and was very relieved to see that he was in his bed in his room in his own house. He got up from his bed slowly and walked into the washroom to check on his dressings. Upon checking that his dressings were still okay, he headed downstairs to make some coffee and food to satisfy his two out of three cravings (_the third will just have to wait_). After eating and loading his dishes in the dishwasher, he walked into his living room and sat down on his couch, unplugging his phone from the charger and pressed the number 5 on the keypad to call his sister Sarah. After picking up, they started talking about his most recent undercover operation, a very brief overview of what happened with Brennan (_majorly downplaying his injuries and the torture he suffered_), Andy's proposition at the Alpine Inn, and their suspensions. Lastly, he talked about his plans for the next few weeks and having drinks with friends from the Academy on Tuesday evening (_hinting at Andy's plans and The Rhino, but not going into any more details. They technically went to the same Academy, just at different times!_). On Sarah's end, she told him about what was happening in St. Catherines and in her world. They conversed on the phone for a good while about their respective lives before Sam started yawning and Sarah sensing that her little brother needed his rest. They decided to say their goodbyes and made promises to speak again soon. Sam slipped the phone into his pocket while he got up from his couch, and headed back towards his bedroom. Grabbing a clean t-shirt and a pair of boxers from his dresser, he headed to his master bathroom to take a shower. While in the shower, now shortly after midnight, Sam happily thought to himself that, several hours after waking up, he will be able to see Andy's smile and gorgeous face again. Knowing he had a bunch of chores to do before meeting Andy tomorrow, he quickly set his alarm for eight A.M. Before replacing his phone on his bedside table, for a brief moment, Sam had the sudden urge to press speed dial three on his phone. Thinking better of it, he crawled under the covers and immediately fell asleep, with a huge grin on his face (_well as large as his stitched up face will allow_).

On Tuesday morning, Sam upon hearing his alarm, wakes up feeling unbearable pain, trudges downstairs to his kitchen and decides to take a couple of regular Tylenols (_still trying to avoid taking Tylenol 3s_) and then making coffee and breakfast. After breakfast, he opened his laptop to check his emails, and seeing nothing important that required his immediate attention, he shuts his laptop and wandered around his house, taking his coffee mug with him, seeing what needs to be dusted, changed, laundered and cleaned since he was away for three weeks. He had quickly lost track of time, while doing his chores and thinking about his job, Andy, her condo, their friends, their suspensions and beyond.

Andy stands in the streetcar, just lost in her thoughts – wonders if Sam will actually show, will he stand her up, how his face looks, how he is feeling, if he misses her, if he is in any pain. She is suddenly jerked out of her daydreams, when someone accidentally elbows her. They mumble a quick sorry and Andy smiles backs at them, while they continue towards the back door of the streetcar. Andy looks out the window past the woman getting off and sees a Shaw Street sign on a concrete pole. She starts laughing quietly to herself, thinking if he only knew what they were up to these next few weeks and what he will say to that. Once the streetcar passes Dufferin Street, she presses the button to request her stop at Noble St. She crosses the street and walks into The Rhino. (_She knows about The Rhino because her college friend lives close to there and they used to go there for brunch.)_Upon walking into The Rhino, she wonders where to sit for the best vantage point, and decides to park her at the right side of the bar, so she can see Sam come in and he can see her. She orders a Muskoka Winter Ale from the bartender and starts thinking about her life, her new condo and of course, Sam while she waits for him to show up.

In the early evening, Sam showers and carefully changes the dressing of his cuts before dressing in his usual attire of jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket. He grabs his wallet and keys before heading out the door. He slowly drives across town to The Rhino, thinking of several questions with unknown answers: what if Doreen shows up? (_Andy did say drinks with JD and Doreen_) What if she stands him up? What if they get caught? Is meeting up is a good idea? Why is he panicking? He shakes the thoughts out of his head, as he is currently guilty of 'over-thinking'. Since the Gardiner Expressway was closed due to construction, he turned onto Richmond St and headed west and then back onto Queen Street via Bathurst Street. Stopping at a traffic light, Sam chuckles when he sees Shaw Street, and wonders what his best friend will say if he knew what he was about to do. He didn't expect to run into major traffic along the Entertainment District on a Tuesday night, unfortunately causing him to be late. At 8:10pm, Sam parks his truck on Milky Way lane (_he figures it would be 'safer' to park off of Queen St West, just in case some of his colleagues recognize his truck and decides to come in for a chat – which will completely blow this 'undercover' operation Andy has apparently planned for them_) and walks towards The Rhino, still unsure whether this is a good idea or not. On the one hand, he would love to see Andy during their suspensions but on the other hand, they are breaking the rules, especially the 'no-contact whatsoever' one. He smiles to himself, realizing that he is only 'slightly' colouring outside the lines as it is Candace and JD meeting up and not Sam and Andy. Before entering, Sam quickly thinks to himself - _I guess it is now or never_, and hopes that Andy hasn't left yet. He decided right then he'll be Ernie (_since Andy is expecting JD_). He promptly thinks back to the conversation they had in JD's apartment and how he was the perfect gentleman. But since JD stands Candace up, and doesn't call to say that he's late (_after all, they can't call each other_), JD will no longer be the perfect gentleman.

He walks into The Rhino and sees Andy sitting by herself at the bar, dressed in her usual sweater, dark wash skinny jeans and her boots, with her hair down, lost in her own thoughts, looking down and playing with her barely touched glass of beer. He breathes a sigh of relief that she is still there and waiting for JD, for him. He smiles and slowly walks right up to her. "Is this seat taken?" he asks, gesturing to the bar stool next to her. Andy is brought out of her thoughts by the sound of his voice, shocked that she did not even notice or sense him come in, turns towards him and beams. Andy, shocked at seeing him with his glasses (_he is_ _definitely not here as JD, she thinks_), glancing at her watch and says with a pout "It was for my gentleman friend but I don't think he is going to show since its past 8pm already." Sam pauses "Why would anyone in their right mind stand someone as beautiful as you up? I guess he is not the perfect gentleman you thought he was – he stood you up and didn't call to say he was going to be late or not going to show up at all." Andy giggles, catching on (_remembering their conversation in JD's apartment_) and says "Well then the seat is yours." Sam takes his jacket off and sits down. "Thanks," he says before turning to introduce himself, "Hi, I am Ernie and you are?" Andy takes a sip of her beer, before answering "Candace, nice to meet you Ernie." An awkward silence ensues for a brief moment right after the introductions, with neither of them sure of what to say or do. During the silence, Sam points to the Mill St. Organic tap and gestures one to the bartender. The bartender pours a pint and promptly places it in front of him. Andy, confused and unsure of how to start off the conversation, pauses before turning to Sam (_hoping in her most normal voice_), "So what brings you here tonight?" Sam takes a sip of his beer and replies "My awesome **friend** Sam told me about this place and since I suddenly got some free time on my hands, I thought it would be the perfect time to check it out." Andy thinks back to the night at the Alpine Inn and turns to Sam, saying "Oh yeah, so it was undoubtedly fate that brought you into the bar tonight. I guess the universe has a plan and lucky for me, you're here." Sam starts chuckling at the fact that Andy has just pretty much repeated what he said that night back to him. Andy takes a sip of her beer and winks at him, willing him to play along. "Ernie, so what business are you in?" Sam thinks back to the conversation at the Alpine and replies "I'm currently out of work" pointing to cuts/stitches and his right arm "but normally I'm a Zamboni driver, nothing interesting. Until recently it's been a little lonely. What about you, Candace?" Andy remembers something funny Gail had said several weeks back just before Sam went undercover and repeats it to him "Hey, at least you're not a giant chicken that germy kids punch for fun. And oh, I'm in insurance, and it's been a little lonely for me as well". Andy curious as to what Sam would say how he got injuries, asks "So how did you end up with that cast and cuts on your face?" quickly wincing and adding "if you don't mind me asking...?" (_Andy instantly regrets asking him that question since she already knew and might bring up bad memories for Sam._) Unaffected, Sam smirks and sarcastically says, "No, no I don't mind, it's quite funny actually – I had a fight with a mean Zamboni and as you can see - it obviously won." Andy, feeling a bit relieved, sarcastically questions "really?" He looks at her and continues with "it was what is was. The truth is that I got into a fight with a player from the other team over a disagreement on whether or not the right call was _**made**_. The other guy got taken out of the arena in handcuffs by the police. And I got to ride in a Hambulance." She laughs, "That's an interesting saying. There's only one person I've ever heard say that." Sam quirks his eyebrow at Andy, eagerly questioning her "And who would that be?" Andy winks at Sam "My awesome partner and **friend** Sam. I wonder if he's the same Sam that told you about this bar. Maybe you know him". Sam and Andy take gulps of their beers during this short break of the conversation trying to process what has just been said and where they take it. Over the next round of beers they manage to carry on a simple and easy conversation about family, friends, jobs, her condo and mortgage, his house and, of course, his truck. In fact, the exchange was flowing so smoothly that they manage to forget about the real life circumstances that lead to the both of them being in this bar and not The Black Penny with their friends. As the night draws closer to midnight, Sam, first thinks of ordering an orange juice, but instead asks the bartender for a glass of water. Aware of the fact that he needs to drive home, getting caught driving under the influence during his suspension from the MPS is definitely the last thing he needs.

At the same time, Andy knows she must tell Sam her plan for their next 'adventure' and that she should head back to Traci's soon. She looks at him casually and says "I'm thinking of spending Friday afternoon, by the waterfront – skating at the Natrel rink at the Harbourfront Centre and probably going to grab a coffee at the Second Cup there afterwards. So if you're not doing anything in those couple of hours... maybe you can join me there. I'm going to do some shopping on Queen Street in the morning, but I should be there around 2pm." Sam thoroughly understanding what Andy is trying to get at grins back and declares "that sounds like a perfect way to spend an afternoon. I'll double-check my schedule (_knowing full well its empty, except poker night with Jerry & Oliver Friday evening_) and **maybe** I'll see you there since I'm not working that day." He pauses before continuing "I guess I'll be seeing you at the giant milk carton by the lake. I've worked with some of those guys before and they can _"put me on ice" _virtually for free, so if you need rentals or whatever – just let me know." Holding off their conversation in order to finish off their drinks, Andy and Sam take the moment to gaze at each other and take each other in.

Sam grins widely at Andy and utters "I'm really glad I came here tonight, Candace". Andy winks at Sam and replies "well Ernie, I'm really glad that you came here tonight as well." Sam gestures to the bartender for the bill so that he can pay for their drinks – but Andy quickly stops him and says "I've only just met you, I'm not sure how I would feel about a strange guy buying me drinks like that, I think I'll buy my own drinks tonight, but thank you for the offer." Chuckling and remembering, Andy takes out a twenty-dollar bill and puts it on the bar, with Sam doing the same. He knows what the answer will be, but still asks nonetheless "Umm, Candace, do you need a ride back to your friend's place?" Andy desperately wants to say yes but she knows she cannot risk having Traci see Sam, and to see her get out of Sam's truck. She turns to look at him and says "I appreciate the offer, Ernie, but no." She ensures him "I'll be alright taking the streetcar back." Sam knowingly nods and gestures "I'll walk you out then." He stands up, picks up her coat and offers to help her put it on. Andy turns back to face him. "Wow! Ernie, aren't you just the perfect gentleman? You offer to pay for my drinks, help me with my jacket and walk me out. Are you going to hold my hand and actually call me too?" As he puts the coat on her, he chuckles. He knows that calling each other is definitely not an option so he says "I'd like to hold your hand but not sure about the calling part, since I don't even have your number," while wiggling his eyebrows at her. She beams back at him while he puts his coat on.

Holding hands, they walk out of The Rhino towards the streetcar stop at the corner. Sam turns towards Andy and leans closer to her. She sees him drawing nearer for a kiss (_Andy flashbacks to the night she rescued Leslie Atkins and their near kiss by the ambulance_) and she turns her head slightly, so that Sam will kiss her cheek and not her lips. She knows there's no going back if Sam gives her anything more than that. Sam, understanding Andy's actions, stays in character and gives her a chaste kiss on the cheek and a hug. He knows that there's no going back if he kisses her like he wants to, it would definitely lead to asking her to spend the night with him. He releases her and looks at her, waiting for her to respond. She promptly hugs him back, nuzzling his cheek with hers and says "It was definitely a pleasure meeting you, Ernie. Goodnight and hope to see you around sometime". Sam nods in agreement "Likewise, Candace." She sees the streetcar approaching, reluctantly turns away from him and gets on. Andy radiantly grinning ear to ear sits down and turns to wave goodbye at Sam from the window of the streetcar. He stands there smiling, watching her and the streetcar get smaller and smaller until he can no longer see them. He slowly walks back to his truck, unlocking it and gingerly gets into the driver seat, mumbling to himself "well, I'm certainly glad I showed up tonight." He drives home, changes into his pajamas and promptly falls asleep, curled up in his bed with Andy dancing happily in his dreams.

On her way back to Traci's, Andy can't believe she has just managed to pull off phase one of her plan. What a day it was, she giddily thought. She got to see Sam, she got her mortgage finalized, and they had discreetly made plans to meet up again in a couple of days' time. Even though she wasn't working, she still had enough on her plate. As a 'thank you' to Traci for letting her crash on her couch, Andy walked Leo to school every other morning and so, she didn't want to be back at Traci's too late. All she kept thinking about on her way back was that she hoped Traci wasn't up waiting for her. Because... if anyone can see right through Andy, it would be her best friend and she couldn't risk anyone finding out about her meet up with Sam. Andy knew that Traci only stayed over at Jerry's when she didn't have Leo because Jerry's loft was further away from Leo's school. Andy quietly unlocked the door of the apartment, got changed in the bathroom, and walked back to the sofa bed. She fell asleep quickly, with a smile on her face and dreaming of Ernie, the perfect gentleman.

_AFN: Love it? Hate it? Feedback & reviews are definitely welcome. I promise I won't bite (well too hard...) :) Cheers Silly. _


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